Tongs



April 16, 1957 SADA YONAKI TONGS Filed Feb. 12, 1954 5/1114 YONAKI,

, INVENTOR.

ATTORNE).

United States Patent" 2,789,001 TONGS Sada Yonaki, Delano, Calif. Application February 12, 1954, Serial No. 409,871

Claims. (Cl. 294-16) The device of this invention is a pair of tongs specifically adapted and arranged for use in handling automobile generators. Automotive generators are small and compact, and because of their very considerable weight, are quite difficult to handle, especially when the engine to which they are attached is hot, and such difficulty is frequently aggravated by inaccessibility of the generator and the generator fastening means, whereby in practice it is usually necessary to support the generator with one hand while the fastening bolts are removed with the other.

Accordingly, and in view thereof, it is a prime object of the present invention to provide a simple and efiicient tool to support a generator while its fastening bolts are being removed and for subsequent use in lifting the generator from its use position for repair or replacement.

Other objects and advantages and features of the objects of the invention may be noted from a study of the drawing, the detailed description thereof, and of the sub-joined claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of the tongs,

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the tool,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view taken along the line 55 of Figure 4.

The tongs of this invention are generally indicated by the reference numeral 1 and are formed of the tong half-portions 2 and 3.

The relatively stationary half-portion 2 comprises a pair of substantially semi-circular fixed jaws 4 and 5 which are integrally connected to the bottoms of spaced hollowshanks 6-and 7 downwardly extending" from the two ends of a transverse handle 8.

The relatively movable half-portion 3 is formed with a handle 9 similar to the handle 8, the two handles each being U-shaped in cross section so that the two handles together can conveniently be gripped by an operators hand. The handle 9 has downwardly extending hollow shanks 10 and 11 in each of which there is fulcrumed upon a pin 12 a substantially semi-circular movable jaw 13 or 14. The radius of curvature is such as to conveniently grasp a generator casing, these almost invariably being cylindrical. The upper and inner integral ends 13a of the movable jaws extend as links across a normal spacing 15 between the handles 8 and 9, and this space also includes the space between the shanks or inverted posts 6 and 7 and 10 and 11, respectively, and entering the hollow dependent or downwardly extending shanks 6 and 7 where the two links are hingedly connected to the shanks upon pins 16, whereby the two half-portions 2 and 3 are loosely joined.

A lever 17 in each end of the tool is swingably hinged upon a pin 18 extending through cars 19 on each of the dependent shanks 10 and 11. The lever extends across the spacing 15 and has its free end resting against the touches the free ends of the levers 17, whereby when the handles 8 and 9 are pressed together the movable shanks 10 and 11 are forced downwardly carrying the pivots 12 with them so that the generator engaging prong ends of the movable jaws 13 and 14 are forced toward the fixed jaws 4 and 5 which also engage the generator, the movable jaws swinging with the fulcrum points 12 about the pivots 16 the latter being fixed with respect to the shanks having the fixed jaws 4 and 5; whereas, on the other" hand, if the handles when closed are pulled apart, pressure exerted by springs 23 within the cavities 21 is enabled to lift the movable half section 3-9-10-11 together with the pivots 12 and 18 and thus move the jaws 13 and 14 outwardly or farther open with respect to'the' stationary jaws 4 and 5, this motion tilting the shanks 10 and 11 as the portions 13a of the jaws 13 and 14 between the pivots 12 and 16 act as links movably about pivots 16 in the stationary half-section 2 and the free upper ends of the levers rock about the points 22a and the walls 20.

The operation is as follows: The tongs or lifting tool is lowered over the generator 9' with the four jaws open as shown in dot and dash lines 16 toward a horizontal position.

in Figure l. The handles 8 and 9 are widely separated, the latter having moved upwardly and outwardly as the link portions 13a of the movable jaws move about pivots Considering the half portion 24-67-316 as stationary in Figure 4, the movable half portion 3 has first moved the pivot 18, which is the knuckle joint of the toggle, out of locking position, the half portion 3 is free to move away, the pivot 12 moving about pivot 16 until link 13a is roughly. horizontal. Lever 17 moves about pivot 18 which is moving away and is in contact with the smooth surface 20 which is assumed to be stationary. This action tilts the shanks 10 and 11 to the. dot and dash position of Figure l. The springs 23 aid in this movement and the upper ends of levers 17 rock freely on the wall 20 while touching the adjustable stops 22a, the pivots 18 in cars 19 moving upwardly and outwardly as the tops of inverted posts or shanks 10 and 11 move above and away from the tops of shanks 6 and 7. When the bottoms of the shanks touch the generator casing, the operator pulls the 'two parallel handles 8 and 9 together until all four jaws snap into locked position about the generator because of the toggle action. The toggle action is best seen in Figure 4, the parts being in locked position. One end of the toggle joint is the junction of lever 17 with screw 22, the other end of the toggle is the pivot 12, and pivot 18 is obviously the knee or central joint. While it would the perfectly satisfactory to bring the pivots in alinement with the end of the lever 17, it is best to have a slight over-center movement and consequently the ears 19 strike the edge of shank 6 just after pivot 18 has passed over the toggle line. Because of the toggle action there is no necessity for pressing the two handles together as the lifting tool carrying the generator is raised as there is no tendency of any kind for the jaws 4 and 13 to open because of the weight of the generator.

At a suitable later time the tool may be freed from the generator by gently separating the handles .8 and 9 Patented Apr. 16, 1957 and 'to move them to the original dot and dash line positiofi.

As noted in Figure 1 the amount of movement from open to closed position is quite small as the radius of curvature of the four jaws naturally is about the same as the radius of'thegenerator casing and this would be true even though the liftingtool were made in totally different sizes to lift much larger cylindrical objects.

From the foregoing description of the invention, when read in reference to the drawing, it will be apparent that Within certain. limits, different size generators may be handled by the same tongs and, that by their use, the

removal and replacement of automobile engine generators will be expedited and with ease and comfort, as compared with the presently prevailing shop practice.

Having thus described my presently preferred tong construction that which I believe to be novel and for which I seek Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In lifting tong construction, a pair of spaced parallel handles, hollow shanks depending from each end of said handles in opposed pairs, semi-circular jaws fixedly cured to the shanks of one of said handles, semi-circular jaws in pivot-pinned connection with the shanks of the second ofsaid handles, said last named semi-circular jaws provided with end extensions, pivot pins securing said end,

extensions to the shanks of the first handle, levers pivoted to the shanks ofthe second handle with their upper free ends engaging a vertical wall within the shanks of the first handle, and stop means carried by the shanks of the first handle for engaging the free ends of said levers to form toggles, the center joints of which are the lever pivots, whereby when the handles are moved apart the jaws are in open position and when the handles are moved together the jaws are locked in closed position.

2. In tong construction, a first handle and a second handle, comprising a pair thereof disposed in parallel juxta-positioned relationship, a dependent shank on each end of said handles, a first pair of semi-circular jaws, said semi-circular jaws being fixedly secured to the lower ends of the shanks of said first mentioned handle, a second pair of semi-circular jaws, said second pair of semicircular jaws being oscillatably mounted in the lower ends of the dependent shanks on said second mentioned handle, said second mentioned semi-circular jaws having their inner ends hingedly fulcrumed to said first mentioned shanks and pivotally connected to the dependent shanks of said second mentioned handle, spring means bearing upon the inner portions of said second mentioned semi-circular jaws for urging lateral separation between the opposed pairs of semi-circular jaws, and means to form a toggle lock for the said semi-circular pairs of jaws when closed, said means comprising levers hinged in the pendent shanks of said second mentioned handle and so disposed as to have their free ends received in the dependent s'hiink's of the first mentioned handle, and a screw for each of said levers, said screws being threadedly positioned in said shanks and adapted and arranged to bear against said levers, at points alined with the pivots of the levers and the pivots of the movable jaws in the shanks carried by the second handle.

3. The lifting tong construction of claim 1 with springs carried by the shanks of the first handle and engaging the end extensions of the curved jaws between the pivot pins to urge rotation of said extensions about the pivot pin connections with the shanks of the first handle to urge separation of the jaws.

4. The construction of claim 1 in which the levers are pivoted in ears which engage the shanks of the first handle in locked position with the lever pivots just past said line toggle position so that said lever pivots will be in over-center position.

5. A pair of tongs including a relatively fixed elongated curved jaw having a relatively short upstanding angularly oifset hollow shank with a smooth interior wall, a cooperating shank generally similar to the first shank in shape and outside dimensions, a curved relatively movable jaw cooperating with the first mentioned jaw and having a main pivot in the cooperating shank near the bottom thereof and having beyond the main pivot an integral link pivoted to the first shank, the length of the curved jaw on the free side of the main pivot being a number of times the length of the link on the other side of said pivot, said link formingan extension of the curved movable jaw adjacent the main pivot and extending beyond said pivot, a locking lever pivoted at one end to the cooperating shank with its free end extending upwardly to engage said smooth wall, means carried by the first shank for engaging the free end of the lever, and means for limiting movement together of the shanks when the upper end of the lever, the pivot of the lever, and the main pivot of the movable jaw have alined in over-center toggle locking position, whereby the jaws when so locked may be opened only by separating the shanks to break the toggle joint.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 984,761 Green Feb. 21, 1911 2,328,433 Dyer a Aug. 31, 1943 2,477,335 Isele July 26, 1949 2,489,057 St. Laurence Nov. 22, 1949 2,489,895 Kash Nov. 29,- 1949 2,507,368 Carlson May 9,, 1950 2,519,630 Boyer Aug. 22, 1950 2,584,353 Keiser Feb. 5, 1952 

